A Plateau’s Autumn Palette
Road Trip Pics
“Looking about us, where the mirror of the water reflected sky and clouds and autumn leaves, we speculated on how far the stirring colors of fall go in stimulating our minds.” — from Painted Forests by Edwin Way Teale (chapter 10 of Autumn Across America [Dodd, Mead & Company, 1956])
In recent months, I have rambled through forests and along rivers known for decades, considering the progression of another season…
Consider that each forest’s trees, understory vegetation, along with grasses, mosses, lichens—and yes, organisms such as mammals and insects walking among them—all can be described as ecological networks for a subset of life forms dependent on that species for survival…
“A foundation species is the most abundant species in an ecological network. It primarily interacts non-trophically with both basal and consumer species of several sub-webs in ways that directly affect feeding interactions among other species (e.g., refuge from predation) or other non-feeding interactions (e.g., metabolism, reproduction).” — from “Foundation Species, Non-trophic Interactions, and the Value of Being Common,” by Aaron M. Ellison [iScience, Cell Press, Volume 13, 29 March 2019, Pages 254-268] (Editorial note: non-trophic means outside predator/prey interactions.)
…and consider too that even after an individual’s death, those still living depend on the physical structures and systems one leaves behind…
Key metabolic activity, mobility, and morphology traits of foundation species either change or persist after death with important consequences for ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and subsidy dynamics. Dead foundation species frequently mediate ecosystem stability, resilience, and transitions, often through feedbacks, and harnessing their structural and trophic roles can improve restoration outcomes. Enhanced recognition of dead foundation species and their incorporation into habitat monitoring, ecological theory, and ecosystem forecasting can help solve the escalating conservation challenges of the Anthropocene.” — from “Dead foundation species drive ecosystem dynamics,” by Patrick H. Saldaña, et al [Trends in Ecology & Evolution, November 1, 2023]
Each leaf shed in a forest will continue feeding nutrients and moisture to the living ecosystem…
…immersed in dappled light and shadow, the play of air and water…
…is a reminder to lift the gaze and stimulate the mind with sights and sounds of our own ecosystem’s foundations. In the coming cycle of seasons, I wish for you moments of peace, tranquility, joy—and the strength to help others seek the same…
An aspen ‘grove’ can be described as an individual, coming as it may from a single mass of roots seeking sunlight via upright shoots we think of as trees, making each walk feel like the progression of an insect amongst meadow grasses…
“‘Making Contact’ explores sounds in the Pando Forest recorded with contact microphones (the piezo mics and the hydrophone, which is a modified contact mic). It includes the sound of bark being pulled off a tree, ants walking over a branch, piezo mics attached to leaves that rattle in the wind, the sound of water, recordings of the tree’s underground soundscape and roots, and even sounds of a mysterious creature.” — Sound artist Jeff Rice, a 2022 Artist-in-Residence at Friends of Pando (from their Mission Statement, “…dedicated and working to educate the public, support research and preservation efforts and inspire stewardship of Pando, the world’s largest tree.”)
Pando Forest (the root mass is a single clone of a male quaking aspen) covers approximately 106 acres of a forested slope above a small lake in south-central Utah. It’s between 9,000 and 12,000 years old, according to recent research. As with all dryland forests, it is vulnerable to climate changes, drought, over-grazing, wildfire, and historic fire suppression. It’s important to note that although many aspen groves are clones of a single individual, many also grow from seeds that sprout in areas recently cleared by wildfires and other forest disturbances. So long as an ecosystem remains habitable, life will cover the scars of life lost. There is a lesson here, as we adjust to our planet’s human-altered future.
In coming weeks, I’ll be exploring some of the concepts and practices that came to be known as “Deep Ecology” a few decades back, while highlighting connections to the paths ahead. Until then, let’s help each other enjoy our beautiful home planet. - B.
I agree with Laura. Great writing, wonderful photos of my favorite time of year, good science and I can almost hear leaves underfoot. I too, have all the Teale books and periodically re-read them. Thanks for introducing us to old and kindly Pando. Wish I were there now, or even better, had a hermit hut nearby so I could take daily walks through it in all its seasons.
“Each leaf shed in a forest will continue feeding nutrients and moisture to the living ecosystem…”
Thanks for your essay, B, and for this line, which stands out out so profoundly to me this morning.